World No 1 Simona Halep is out of the WTA Finals in Singapore after losing to Elina Svitolina in the last round-robin match. Halep needed to beat the Ukrainian to advance out of her group with Caroline Wozniacki, but went down 6-3 6-4 and will now head home.
Furthermore, she will lose her crown as the world’s best if Karolina Pliskova wins the title on Sunday.
Simona Halep cut a crestfallen figure after she fell to a straight-sets defeat by Elina Svitolina
Halep’s distress was evident throughout the match as she fell to a 6-3 6-4 loss in Singapore
Halep’s defeat means that in-form Caroline Garcia joins Wozniacki in the final four to carry on her amazing end-of-season run.
Garcia, who won back-to-back titles in China to seal a spot at the tournament, was looking dead and buried after losing her first round-robin game against Halep but beat Svitolina on Wednesday and came into Friday’s clash with Wozniacki knowing she had to win.
She might have been preparing herself for a flight home after losing the first set to love, but steeled herself against a player who had only dropped four games in her previous two matches and came through 0-6 6-3 7-5.
The Frenchwoman still had a nervous wait to see if she progressed, but after Svitolina, playing with the freedom of a player who already knew she was heading home, was too good for Halep, it meant that Garcia ended up topping the group.
That set up a semi-final against Venus Williams while Pliskova lies in wait for Wozniacki.
Halep could lose her world No 1 status on Sunday now if Karolina Pliskova wins the title
Svitolina acknowledges the crowd after her victory over the world No 1 on Friday
